Extrusion die



Jan. 8, 1952 M. W. QLSON EXTRUSION DIE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1949 ATTORNEY EXTRUSION DIE Filed Feb. 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENT mm 14 0.46

By 93mg ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1952 tiithU N D111 Mark Olson, Allendale, N. J., assignor to United tat Bubber Company, N w Yq s;

N, Y2, corrorat cn o Ne Jersey Application Fe ru ry 1 49,, seria N #33 5 5 filhims, 1

This invention relates to an extrusion die for rubber and the like and more particularly to an extrusion die so constructed and arranged as to raise the temperature of the stock as it passes therethrough,

One object of the present invention is to provide an extrusion die in which the stock being extruded is subjected to intense mechanical working so that it becomes heated while passing therethrough. v

Another object of the invention is the pros vision of a means for increasing the temperature uniformly throughout a stream of rubber bein extruded, without scorching the rubber,

Still another object is to providea' die for use in manufacture of rubber covered cables, or the like, wherein the cable is accurately centered with respect to the rubber covering by reason of the fact that radial pressures in the rubber become substantially equalized as the rubber passes through the die, and there is therefore no tendency for the rubber to urge the cable 01? center as the rubber is extruded thereon,

A further object is the provision of apparatus for manufacture of rubber jacketed articles by eposit a vulca blc ru ber stock the a e and u an in the depos ed stock y passin h ou h a heat d co finin p s a e a whe in the development of excessive pr ssures w th n. the said he t pas ge ay by-th rma expansion of he depos ted o the ein is areen ed by p eheating the u canizable ta k beore it enters th sa d he ted pa sa way Further cbjects will be evident iron the roller: ine de ai ed de cription oi-the ti n,--W a, d with nce inc-the acccmranyiue draw: lanes, he in h s .1 i a plan vi pa tly in section, p ubrica ed ext usion and ulcamzi s ap ara us,

hic -udine a materi h t ng die. ass mbly ca strueted acc rding o the present i ent hi Fie-v 2 is an exp oded pe spective Ylew of die assembly con tructed in acc rdance win; t nvention;

ig- 3 i enlarged se ional View showing the die assemb y .01 F g.- and assoc ed part more d t l; Fig, i i a t a sver e on vi of the apparatus taken along the line 44 of Fig. '35

Fig, 5 is a transverse sectional view o f the apcara u ken along 121 6 31 o this 1;; n Fig. 5 is a detail of part of a lubricant applying m ans remov d o e pparat 0 Fi l- The apparatus of the invention includes an extruder for depositing a rubber jacket on a wire p to form an insulated electrical conductor which is vulcanized under pressure while passing through an elongated, heated, confining chamber. As will be explained in detail below, passage of the rubber covered wire through the elongated confining chamber without sticking or tearing is made possible by providing suitable means for lubricating the surface of the rubber jacket as it passes into the confining chamber. In order to prevent development of excessive pressures within the confining chamber by there mal expansion of the rubber jacket therein, which excessive pressures would make it difiicult to prevent the rubber jacketed wire from stick! ing to the walls of the confining chamber, with resulting damage to the jacket or jamming of the apparatus, there is provided at the entrance to theconfining chamber an irregular die assembly in which the rubber being deposited on the wire becomes heated by mechanical working as it enters the confining chamber. As a result of the increase in temperature of the stock being extruded, the subsequent thermal expansion which occurs Within the heated confining chamber itself is minimized, and development of excessive pressure in the confining chamber is thus prevented.

This pre-heating oi the rubber stock betore it enters the confining chamber is accomplished without danger of pre-vulca-nizing or scorching the vulcanizable stock, because the stock is heated uniformly throughout its entire mass by mec an al Wor ing n he regula d e,- The S eel; 'n t subjected c e ces ve sur tempeiai rss uch as wou d be the case it it were attempted to ire-heat th sto k :bv 9i coh eeiisihel eating jacket and he like it Wa d heheces erv i9 relat el hi h t m er: tures at the s nset; 0? es ihs timber s n orde t produ e a giventemrer ture ris in the interior of the stock,

Reierrine t9 Fla .1 9f the dra ings e app ratus it a rr rhle rubber sihqk I! o m a vulc nized hbe cov r d el ctrica c nduc or '13, etvire 1 tube catered with-ruhh r tock ii i 'fBd from a suitable supply reel [-3. The vulcanizable rubber stock H is deposited .on the wire .110 by means .of :a cross-head extruder 44 having a feedin screw l5 for the stock. #The f ding sc e s r at d th n a ar e suitable means tnot shownthrough a driving gear M on the end of the shaft l; 8 o f the screw 1'5, A suitable hopper $9 :is provided at the entrance end of the extruder I4 for introducin the rubber into the extruder barrel I6.

In order to maintain the stock being extruded at the proper working temperature, a heating jacket 26 is provided around the extruder barrel I6. Hot oil 2 I, or a similar heating medium, may be circulated around the extruder barrel I6 through an inlet 22 and an outlet 23 in the Walls of the jacket 20.

It should be noted that the temperature to which the vulcanizable rubber stock II can be heated by the heating oil 2I, or by equivalent heating means, is limited by the fact that the stock II begins to vulcanize when a sufiiciently elevated temperature is reached, depending on the formulation of the particular rubber compound being extruded. Such ore-vulcanization of portions of the stock II before it is deposited on the wire I results in defective articles, by reason of the fact that such pre-vulcanized or scorched portions are too hard to extrude properly.

For depositing the rubber stock I I on the wire ID, the extruder I4 is fitted at its delivery end with a suitable cross-head assembly 24. The wire I0 to be jacketed with rubber passes through this cross-head assembly and into an elongated confining tube or die extension tube 25. The tube 25 is heated to vulcanizing temperatures by virtue of its own electrical resistance to current introduced at terminals 26 and 21 at each end of the tube. The confining tube 25 is covered with suitable heat insulation 28.

' For the, purpose of shaping the rubber stock II in the form of a rubber jacket 30 of the desired thickness as it is deposited on the wire core ID, a die assembly 3I is provided at the entrance of the confining tube 25. The die assembly 3|, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a stepped tapered core or guide piece 32 and a cooperating outer member 33 which is annular and correspondingly stepped so as to define a tortuous annular passageway 34 (Fig. 3) for mechanically working and thereby heating the stock to be deposited on the wire. The die assembly 3| fits into a recessed portion of the delivery end 35 of the cross-head assembly 24.

The die cord or guide piece 32 is attached by means of a thread 36 to a guide extension member 31 which extends through the wall of the cross-head 24. The die core 32 may be accurately positioned by adjusting a threaded retaining collar 38 on the threaded end portion 39 of the guide extension member 31. The guide extension member 31 has a central longitudinal passageway 40 for passage of the wire ID to be coated. The passageway 46 in the guide extension member 31 leads into a passageway 4| in the die guide 32. The wire I0 is coated with a deposited rubber jacket 30 of the desired thickness on emerg ing from the passageway 4 I.

In order to maintain the die guide piece 32 in concentric alignment with the outer die member 33 and with the die extension tube 25, the guide piece 32 is fitted with a slotted centering shoulder 42 having a number of radially extending spaced lugs 43 which engage the tapered entrance portion 44 of the outer die member 33. The rubber stock I I passes into the die through the slots 45 between lugs 43. v

In order that the rubber stock may be heated by mechanical working before it is deposited on the wire ID as it passes into the elongated curing tube 25, the die assembly 3|, as mentioned previously, is so constructed that the passageway 34 therein for the rubber stock is extremely irregular or tortuous. To this end, the central guide piece 32 of the die assembly 3| has three sharply ofiset or stepped surfaces 46, 41 and 48, corresponding to three similar offset or stepped surfaces 49, 50, and 5i on the annular outer member 33 of the die assembly. These surfaces defined sharply ofiset annular passageways of decreasing diameter. Disposed generally transversely of the aforesaid surfaces, there are provided abrupt faces 52 and 53 on the outer die member 33, which faces are disposed across the path of flow of the rubber stock. These faces, together with cooperating transverse faces 54 and 55 on the guide member 32, define passageways for the rubber which are disposed at a sharp angle with respect to the passageways defined by the inner die surfaces 46, 41, and 48, and the outer die surfaces, 49, 50 and'5I. A material of such high viscosity as rubber-is subjected to intense mechanical working and thereby becomes heated by being forced to flow through such an irregular path. I

Fig. 5 shows a transverse sectional view of the wire I6 and the deposited rubber jacket 30 passing through the heated confining tube or die extension tube 25. The rubber jacket 30 fills out the die extension tube 25 entirely and conforms closely to the walls thereof. The tube 25 confines the rubber in the desired shape while it is being vulcanized. The vulcanized rubber covered wire I2, after emerging from the tube 25, is wound up at asuitable speed on a reel 66 which may be driven .by-conventional take-up means (not shown). The movement .of the rubber iac et 36 through the elongated confining tube 25 without sticking or tearing is made possible by the application of a thin film of lubricant to the surface of the passing rubber as it emerges from the die passageway 34 and passes into the curing tube 25. As shown in Fig. 1, lubricant, for example, sili cone mold release fluid, to be applied to the sur-' face of the passing rubber, may be contained in a suitable reservoir 6 I, from which it is fed through a line 62 to a positive delivery tvpe pump 63; driven by a motor 64 equipped with a conventional variable speed transmission 65. The lubricant passes under pressure through a delivery line 66 into a su ply passagewav 61 (Fig. 3) in a collar 68 to which the curing tube 25 is attached. The collar 68 is also provided with an annular distributing passageway 69 from which the lubricant flows into a series of-radial holes 10 in the walls of the tube 25 (Figs. 3 and 4). For the purpose of spreading the lubricant evenly over thesurface of the passing rubber and for the purpose of preventing any of the rubber stock "from entering into and clogging thelubricant supply lines in the event that the pressure of therubberstock exceeds the pressure of-the lubricant, there" is provided a lubricating ring assembly 1!, which is shown in Fig. 6 removed from the apparatus- This lubricating ring II is provided with a' number of longitudinally extending tapered blades or flaps I2 separated by slots or cuts 13- The lubricating ring II abuts the delivery end of the die assembly 3i, and the tapered flaps 12, engage the correspondingly tape efd v, trance end 14 (Fig. 3) of the tube 25, each flap -'I-3 covering one of the radial lubricant delivery holes I8. The die assembly 3 I, the lubricating ring TH, and the tube collar 68, are maintained in position within the recessed portion of the extruder-head-iibra retaining ring 15 and a threaded bushing 16. I

The gaps or blades 1-; ofthe. lubricating rin are thin enough to flex. slightly aw y f om theradlel inlet holes 8 o permit a small amount of lubricant to be spre d evenly over the surface of the. passing rubber jacket 39 when he pres sure of the lubricant in the holes NJ exceeds the Pressure of th rubber stock, 011 th other hand, if th pressure or" the. rubber momentarily ex seed th pressure in. t lubricant passag s th rubber pre ses he la es agains the lubr cant hol s il oloslng'them off and venting any rubber from entering into and blocking the lubricant passages. As soon as the blades flex against the lubricant opening the positive pump 53 immediately builds. up the pressure in th lu ricab ins lines until the pressure of. the lubflcant as seeds: he pre sure of. the rubber, wh r upon lubrieation of he r bb r resumed, Lu ricated xtrusion apparatus of this hara er described in ore detail and cla med a cop ndins apn i ca ion of the pres nt inventor and Cliirord A, Fen suson, Serial No. 61554;, filed November 23. 1943; and assig ed to the same assisnee as th present apn jcation,

Considering now the operation of; the inven! tion, the method of s arting he pp atus will be described, The w re 10 t b ja eted with rubber is passed trom the re l t hr ugh the Dessa eway all in the guide extensionmeinbcr ti and thence through th passageway ll in the uid member '32 of, the irresularyd assembly :3! into the curingtube; and is wound upon the reel: ell which is so constructed. and driven as to taks'up theproduct ata constant rate. The vulcanizable rubber stock 1 I 'is passed from the extruder barrel It by the feeding screw, through the crossi ta assembly 2 th ough the irregular passageway 34 of the die assembly'al, and is deposited on the wire 80 as the wire emerges from'the guide passageway 4|. The variable speed transmission 65 is adjusted so that the pnmp 63 delivers a slight excess of lubricant from the reservoir 6 I, through the lubricant delivery passagesand onto the surface of" the advancing rubber jacket 30.

As the rubber jacket 30 advances along-the curing tube or die extension tube 25, the rubber becomes heated to vulcanizing temperatures. As the temperature of the rubber increases, the rub, ber expands Within the tube 25. The expansion of the rubber in a longitudinal direction is limited by the fact that the rubber jacket 30 is deposited on and adheres to the wire 10. once the expansion of the rubber occurs in a radial direction against the walls of the tube 25. This results in development of the desired vulcanizing pressures so that the vulcanized rubber covered Wire I2 is a dense, vulcanized, uniform product of good physical and electrical properties, free from internal voids, and having a smooth shiny surface by reason of having been vulcanized within the lubricated tube 25. Because of the radial expansion of the rubber jacket 30 as it advances through the tube 25, the lubricating film on the surface thereof becomes gradually thinner as it travels through the tube. Under steady operating conditions, the flow of lubricant into the apparatus is only sufficient to maintain this thin film of lubricant unbroken so as to' broken the rubber jacket 30 from contacting and adhering to the tube at any poirlt.

The amount of thermal expansion of; the rubber jacket which occur within the die extension tube 25 is very small because the rubber stock I =1 has been substantially pre=heated by the-nic charlioalworking, to high it was subjected passing through the irregular die assem ly If the rubber stock were not so pro-heated it be so great in certain cases as to cause the jacket 311* to exert exces ve radial pr s ures. u h exccssive radial pressures would displace the lubriating film between th surface o th jacket 3 nd. the walls of t e tube 25, causing e r e to stick and 3am within th tube 25, wi h the r sult that appara us ould no be op rated.

Under usual op rating condition with conventional rubber compounds, it has be n fo nd that the irregular di a s mbly 3| raises the orn-- per-stare o the rubber stock y, f r x ple, 20 to so or m re, in omparisonwith the tempeiat-ui'e oi asimilarstock passed through a con: ventional smooth die under the same conditions As ndicated, reviously. the desired l r -heating effect on the rubber could not be obtained by heating the extruder barrel 0r cross-head by means o h atin jackets, or el ct ical heating elements, etc,. The reason for this is that such conventional heating means heat the rubber mass from the outside surface thereof. In order todevelop a given temperature in the interior of the van ing ru ber mas a r l iv ly hi her temi rators must be applied. to the suriace of the mass. it t is desir d to heat the advancing rubber mass to tempe atur s approaching vulcanizin temperatur sthere v s con derable dan er of scorching the surface of the rubberincontact with the heatedertruder body- It should be no ed that in using the irregu ar die assembly 31, the rubber i heated by-mechanioal. work ng immedia y prior o ing x uded in t e desired shapas that there is no opportunity for-the heated rubber to scorch or prevolcanics e ore being shaped. Th entire mass oi rubber thus being hea d is adv ced. r pidly through the rregular passag way 3 r ar no de d sp ts with n the pa ag way 34 wh rein p rtions of he heated rub mis t e a n and become scorched as the a n. portion f e rub-. berst eam pa ses therethrough- Another advantage of the irregular die bly 3|, is that the irregular die aids considerably in maintaining the wire I!) correctly centered as the rubber jacket 30 is deposited thereon. Thus, in a conventional cross-head extruder it is commonly observed that the pressure of the rubber within the tapered throat of the cross-head is not uniform, thatis, the pressure of the stock in the area 80 (Fig. 3) of the inside curve of the throat is greater than the pressure in the area 8| of the outside curve of the throat. Such unequal pressures tend to urge the wire or other core off center as the rubber is deposited thereon. However, with the irregular die assembly 3|, it is found that unequal pressures referred to become ironed out as the stock traverses the tortuous passageway 34,

with the result that the wire l0 can be easily maintained in good concentricity with the extruded rubber jacket 30.

While the irregular heating die of this invention has been described in detail in conjunction with a lubricated extrusion and vulcanizing apparatus for manufacturing rubber insulated electrical wires, it will be understood that the invention is particularly well adapted to any manufacturing process wherein a rubber-like jacket is extruded onto a. core and is subsequently passed through a heated confining and vulcanizing assemchamber. The irregular die effectively pre-heats the rubber, avoiding development of excessive pressure by thermal expansion within the said chamber. 1

The irregular die is also useful in other extrusion operations wherein it is desired to heat the stock as it is extruded, or wherein a proper centering of a core is desired with respect to a deposited outer jacket.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is;

1. In an extruding apparatus, a die for subjecting stock being extruded to mechanical working to increase the temperature of said stock, said die having a core member provided with a plurality of sharply stepped sections of decreasing diameter in the direction of fiow of the stock and a co-- operating outer member having correspondingly stepped sections and defining with said core a tortuous passageway in which the stock passing through the die is repeatedly forced to make sudden changes in direction of flow.

2. In an extruding apparatus, a die for subjecting stock being extruded to mechanical workvided with abruptly stepped surfaces, a corre I spondingly stepped cooperating outer member defining with said core a passageway for the stock, said outer member having abrupt faces disposed transversely to the axis of the core and intersecting the fiow path of the stock through said passage, whereby the stock is repeatedly forced to change its direction of flow.

3. In an apparatus for-extruding a covering 'on wire and the like, a die for subjecting the stock forming said covering to mechanical working While it is being extruded to increase the temperature of said stock, said die'having a generally tapered core piece provided with a central passageway for the wire to be covered with stock, said core having axially offset outer surfaces, a cooperating outer member provided with corresponding ofiset surfaces and having abrupt faces disposed transversely of the axis of the core, a slotted shoulder to maintain said core and outer member in coaxial spaced relation, saidcore and outer member defining an irregular annular passage for the stock. v

4. A die for use in apparatus for extruding a covering stock on wire and the like, said die comprising a generally tapered guide piece provided with a central passageway for the wire to be covered with stock, a cooperating outer member within which said guide fits, said guide and outer member defining a tapered annular passageway for the stock to be deposited on the wire. the surfaces of said guide piece and outer member being abruptly ofiset across the path of flow of provided with a central passageway for the cable to be covered with stock, a cooperating outer die member within which said guide fits, said'guide and outer die member defining an annular passageway for the stock to be deposited on the wire, the surfaces of said guide piece and outer die member being abruptly offset across the path-of flow of the stock at intervals, so that thestock is forced to make abrupt changes in direction, thereby becoming heated by mechanical working while passing through the die.

MARK W. OLSON.

REFERENCES crrED The following references are of record in the file .of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 466,910 Royle et al Jan. 12, 1892 1,726,359 Martell et al Aug. 27, 1929 2,349,178 Kopitke May 16, 1944 2,358,354 Stacy et a1. Sept. 19, 1944 2,401,551 Cook, Jr June 4, 1946 

